Method of setting up and applying adhesive transfers



Jan. 10, 1967 E. F. TWOMEY, JR

METHOD OF SETTING UP AND APPLYING ADHESIVE TRANSFERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 13, 1962 INVENTOR.

Jan. 10, 1967 E. F. TWOMEY, JR

METHOD OF SETTING UP AND APPLYING ADHESIVE TRANSFERS Filed Nov. 13, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

50 641? F: man/15y, (IQ.

United States Patent O 3,297,507 METHOD OF SETTING UP AND APPLYING ADHESIVE TRAYSFERS Edgar F. Twomey, Jr., Glendale, Califi, assignor to E. F. Twomey C0., Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Nov. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 236,850 6 Claims. (Cl. 156-240) This invention relates to means and method to set up and apply adhesive transfers and more particularly to decal assemblies which maybe prepositioned on a guide means so that the decals may be affixed to a surface according to the prepositioned arrangement.

Heretofore, the application and transfer of individual watermount or pressure-sensitive adhesive decal letters or numbers has been one of directly applying the decal to a surface and attempting to space them as each indi vidual decal is applied with the resultant effect that in some instances the words formed by the individual letters have been off-center from the desired location on the surface to which they are applied. In order to eliminate this type of misalignment, the normal practice has been one of making what is known in the trade as a custom decal, that is the preparing of the whole word or other indicia as one entire assembly on one sheet, and then laying the entire assembly upon the surface so that there was less chance of misalignment. This custom decal work in small quantities is expensive and time-consuming in its preparation.

An object of this invention is to provide a means and method whereby individual decal letters, numerals, or other indicia may be positioned upon a guide means whereby the entire Word, phrase, or sign may be laid out, and from the layout, a determination of the center of the word, phrase, or sign may be obtained either vertically or horizontally or both, so that the completed sign may be affixed in the exact position desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide a decal assembly of the dry type, i.e., a decal being coated with pressure-sensitive adhesive, which is adapted to be mounted upon a guide means with other decal assemblies and prepositioned upon a surface without the decals becoming affixed to the surface before it is determined that the spacing has been properly arranged.

A further object of this invention is to provide decal assemblies and guide means which may be utilized with transparent or opaque surfaces.

Another object of this invention is to provide a template means with predetermined indicia printed thereupon and with spaces for positioning the decal assemblies within a complete sign so that when the inserts, such as the street address, etc., is placed within the spaces provided, the entire decal sign when finished will have the appearance of a custom decal.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The invention consists of the construction, arrangements, and various parts of the device and means wherein the objects contemplated are obtained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a decal assembly illustrating a thin transparent protective sheet covering the decal;

FIGURE 2 is a crosssectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 showing the decal assembly;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of a decal assembly illustrating the backing sheet;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but illustrating a top portion of the protective sheet peeled away ice to show an adhesive strip which is placed upon the backing sheet;

FIGURE 5 illustrates a decal assembly mounted upon a guide means;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of a glass panel, guide means and decal assembly, the latter about to be aifixed upon the glass panel showing the transparent protective sheet being'removed from the decal;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 but the decal has been mounted to the glass and the protective sheet is being removed from the decal;

FIGURE 8 is a view of a plurality of decal assemblies forming a word secured to a guide means and the guide means properly positioned in the desired location upon a transparent window pane;

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 except that the surface upon which the decals are to be aflixed is opaque and, therefore, the letters are placed upon the guide means in left to right readable order so that the word may be read in normal sequence from left to right with the letters to be placed on the outside of the surface;

FIGURE 10 is a modification of the guide means with a template provided on the outside of a transparent glass having indicia printed thereon; and

FIGURE 11 is a view taken on line 1111 of FIG- URE 10 and is a cross-sectional view showing in detail the construction and arrangement of the template, glass, and decal assemblies.

The dry decal or transfer assembly is generally designated 20. A decal of any form of indicia, identified as the letter E in FIGURES l and 3, but not limited thereto, is formed in a conventional manner upon a relatively thick backing sheet 24 of cardboard, paper, or other suitable pliable material. It should be noted that to achieve best results for the transfer of the decal 22 from the backing 24, the backing sheet is formed of a material where the bond between the decal and backing is less than the afiinity of an adhesive to a mounting surface. The process of forming the decal on the backing sheet 24 may be by silk screen, ink printing, etc., and does not form a part of this invention.

The decal or transfer 22 may be formed on the sheet 24 in normal readable order, such as seen in FIGURE 1, or it may be reversed when it is to be aflixed to an exterior surface such as opaque glass, metal, etc. Once the decal 22 has been positioned and formed upon the backing sheet 24, a pre-activated pressure-sensitive adhesive 26 is applied to the surface of the decal, and a thin strip 27 of the pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied at the top of the backing sheet 24 such as seen in FIG- URE 4.

A thin, generally transparent, protective glassine type sheet 28 is placed over the backing sheet 24 and will adhere to the decal 22 by means of the pressure-sensitive adhesive. The protective sheet 28 is generally the same size as the backing sheet. The protective sheet 28 is formed with a score 'line 30 above the decal 22, as best seen in FIGURES 1 and 4. This score line 30 creates a top protective sheet tab 32.

The backing sheet 24 is provided with a reverse image imprint 33, best seen in FIGURES 3, 5 and 8, when the decal 22 is formed in readable order as seen in FIGURE 1. However, when the decal is formed in reverse order, for use on an opaque surface, the image imprint 33, best seen in FIGURE 9, will appear in readable order from left to right. The imprints 33 and 33' are the exact size of the decal and assist in the proper aligning of several assemblies 20 in the formation of a word.

Additionally, a guide line 34 is imprinted above the image imprint 33 or 33'. This line 34 will normally be positioned below the score line 30 which is formed on the O protective sheet 28. It is important that the guide lines 34 be a consistent distance from the top of the image imprint 33 or 33. In this way, the image 33 or 33 will be in register with additional decals in the same line.

A guide or template means 35 of any suitable material such as cardboard, paper, metal, etc., is provided with a length sutficient to accommodate the number of letters necessary to form the word or words which are to be made from the individual decal assemblies and applied to a surface. The guide strips 35 may be of any type of configuration such as by way of illustration and not limitation, a generally straight guide shown in FIGURES and 6, or an arcuate strip such as is shown in FIGURE 9. The shape and design of the strip will depend upon the way that the final decal assemblies are to appear upon the surface to which they are to be afiixed.

In order to properly arrange the letters to form the desired word, the decal assemblies 20 are afiixed to the guide strip in the following manner: The top protective sheet tab 32 is peeled away from the backing 24 so that the pressuresensitive adhesive strip 27 is exposed. The decal is then reversed so that the adhesive 27 may be applied directly to the guide strip 35 such as is illustrated in FIGURE 5. The guide line 34, previously mentioned, is aligned normally with a bottom guide edge 36 of the strip 35. In this way, each letter will be accurately vertically spaced with regard to the next letter. The next assembly 20 is affixed by the above process. Each letter is usually visually spaced from its adjacent letter. The pressure-sensitive adhesive strip 27 being relatively small makes it apparent that the decal may be lifted and repositioned so that as the word progresses from the respective individual letter decals, the spacing may be re-arranged if necessary. In other words, when a letter such as I is used between two other letters, the spacing is normally closer between those letters than it would be should the letter A appear between two other letters.

The value of the reverse image 33 of the decal becomes apparent so that the letters may be visually assembled to form the words and that the spacing between the respective letters is such to form a complete and custom-like-inappearance type of decal.

Once the letters have been positioned upon the guide strip means 34, it is then necessary that a vertical center line 38 be fixed upon the guide strip 35 and that vertical center line is halfway between the ends of the line of indicia which has been placed upon the guide strip 35. In other Words, in the illustration in FIGURES 8 and 9, the center line 38 is approximately through the vertical leg of the letter L. This guide strip vertical center line 38 may then be used to match with a predetermined center line 39 which has been placed upon a transparent or opaque surface 40 by grease pencil, crayon, or any type of removable marking substance. Additionally, a horizontal line 46 may be drawn upon the transparent or opaque surface so that the edge 36 of the guide strip and the center line 38 may be matched with the respective lines 39 and 46 and the entire assembly centered.

Then the guide strip 35 is aifixed to the surface by means of tape 42 or any other suitable fastening material. At this point, the assembly would be similar in cross section to that shown in FIGURE 6, and similar to the illustrations in FIGURES 8 and 9.

To afiix the decal 22 to the surface 40. the protective sheet 28 is pulled outward and downward from the decal and backing sheet, such as is shown in FIGURE 6. For best results, the sheet 28 should be pulled at a sharp angle from the plane of the decal so that there is the least amount of surface tension created and chances of damaging the decal 22 are reduced. The decal with the pressure-sensitive adhesive 26 is left exposed and the decal 22 can then be transferred to the surface 40. In order to accomplish this transfer, pressure is put upon the backing sheet 24 such as rubbing the backing sheet with a blunt instrument, called burnishing, so that the pre-activated pressure-sensitive adhesive 26 will adhere to the surface 40. It should be noted that the dry transfer process here is without the aid of chemicals, water, heat, liquid of any nature, or electricity, but merely pressure. Any suitable implement, not shown, may be used for effecting the rubbing provided it has a smooth, yet hard, and preferably blunt rounded end.

Once the decal 22 has been transferred to the surface 40, the backing sheet 24 may be removed upwardly at a sharp angle from the plane of the decal such as is shown in FIGURE 7. The adhesive afiinity between the ink or lacquer of the decal 22 and the surface is greater in degree than the adhesive atrinity of the ink for the backing sheet 24. This is in part due to the fact that the sheet 24 is formed of a material as previously generally described and will lessen the affinity between the decal and the backing 24. This process is repeated for each assembly 20, with the result that the decals 22 are normally permanently afiixed to the surface 40.

After the line of decals or transfers 22 are affixed, the guide strip means or template means 35 is easily and cleanly removed leaving just the decal material affixed to the surface 40. This method of afiixing decals does not require the removal of excess adhesive or water which would be the case when affixing prior art watermount decals which are subject to misalignment through this type of cleaning.

As mentioned before, when the surface 40' is opaque, it is necessary that the decals be transferred to the exterior surface. Thus the images 33' seen in FIGURE 9 are actually a reverse of the way that the letter is placed upon the backing sheet 24. Of course, it can be understood that this type of decal arrangement for an opaque surface is particularly useful for a metal surface, opaque windows, wood, or any substance to which the decal can be affixed by the pre-activated pressure-sensitive adhesive.

The modification shown in FIGURES 10 and 11 employs somewhat the same principles as heretofore described but without the necessity of marking vertical center lines and horizontal lines upon the surface where the decals are to be affixed. Its use is limited to transparent glass.

A master guide template upon which letters 51 have been printed in reverse order to form a complete sign is afiixed to the outside of a piece of glass 40. This type of template is particularly useful to organizations where it is desirable that there be a master sign or custom decal which is consistent, but where certain special indicia within the master sign must be changed, such as a street address, branch name, etc. It will be seen that this master template 50 is provided with a blank space 52 defined by a pair of horizontal lines 54 and 56 which are imprinted on the template 50. Additionally, a vertical center line 58 is imprinted on the template in the middle of the respective master sign formed by the letters 51.

After the template 54 is positioned, the master or custom decal may be placed on the inside of the glass 40 aligned with the letters 51 and affixed.

When it is determined the special indicia to be placed upon the glass 40 within the master sign, the necessary letters or numbers are selected from a font of letters and numbers and are spaced out upon the template or guide strip 35 such as previously described. After the entire special indicia has been aifixed to the guide strip means 35, the center line 33, as previously described, is drawn upon the guide strip, and the guide line 38 is then matched and aligned with the vertical line 58 on the template 50, and the bottom edge 36 of the guide strip 35 is positioned along the horizontal guide line 54. The guide strip is then affixecl to the inside of the glass such as is shown in better detail in FIGURE 11, and the individual decal assemblies 20 may be transferred to the glass 40 in the manner previously described.

Thus the resultant effect is to create a composite of indicia which has the appearance of a custom decal sign,

While there has been illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of this invention, it is to be under stood that it is not limited to the precise construction herein disclosed, but that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is laimed is:

1. The method of setting up and applying pressuresensitive adhesive-coated dry transfer images to a mounting surface comprising the steps of: assembling each dry transfer image on a backing sheet, applying pressure sensitive adhesive to each of said images and a portion of each of said backing sheets, applying a sectional protective sheet including a relatively narrow section over each of said coated portions of said backing sheet, and the other section being relatively Wide over each of said dry transfer images, removing said relatively narrow section, predetermining the location of a plurality of said dry transfer images on said mounting surface by positioning indicia means thereon, orienting a guide strip means upon said mounting surface with said positioning indicia means, aligning at least one elongated edge of said guide strip with said positioning indicia means to index said guide strip therewith, aligning guide lines formed on the backing sheets on the reverse side from said dry images with said elongated edge of said guide strip, aflixing said backing sheets to said guide strip where said narrow section has been removed, removing said relatively wide section of said protective sheets, afiixing by pressure said dry transfer images to said mounting surface, and removing said guide strip and said backing sheets.

2. The method of forming, prepositioning and applying a dry transfer image to a mounting surface comprising the steps of: forming a dry transfer image on a backing sheet, coating said image with pressure-sensitive adhesive, coating a portion of said backing sheet above said image with pressure-sensitive adhesive, applying a relatively thin sectional protective sheet over said image and said backing sheet, removing a section of said protective sheet above said image, aflixing by pressure said backing sheet to a guide means with said image depending from said guide means, orienting said guide means on said mounting surface, removing the other section of said protective sheet covering said image, afiixing by pressure said image to said mounting surface, stripping said backing from said image, and removing said guide means from said mounting surface.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the step of applying a relatively thin sectional protective sheet over said image and said backing sheet includes the step of scoring said protective sheet above said image, forming a section which when removed exposes a portion of said backing sheet above said image.

4. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the step of orienting said guide means includes the step of aligning said guide means with positioning indicia on said mounting surface.

5. The method of forming, prepositioning and applying a plurality of separate dry transfer images to a mounting surface comprising the steps of: forming individual dry transfer images on backing sheets, coating said images With pressure-sensitive adhesive, coating a portion of said backing sheets above said images with pressure-sensitive adhesive, applying relatively thin sectional protective sheets over said images and said backing sheets, removing a section of each of said protective sheets above said images, positioning said backing sheets along a guide means in selected relationship one with the other, afiixing by pressure said backing sheets to said guide means with said images depending from said guide means in said selected relationship, mounting said guide means on said mounting surface, removing the other section of each of said protective sheets covering said images, aifixing by pressure said images to said mounting surface, stripping said backing sheets from said images, and removing said guide means from said mounting surface.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the step of applying relatively thin sectional protective sheets over said images and said backing sheets includes the step of scoring each of said protective sheets above the respective images forming sections which when removed expose a portion of each of said backing sheets above the respective images.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,889,484 11/1932 Marshburn 156249 2,679,928 6/1954 Bishop ct al. 156-249 2,699,103 1/1955 Stasikewick l6l406 X 2,755,555 7/1956 Spaeder l6l406 X 3,094,451 6/1963 Wagner 156249 EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner.

M. L. KATZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE METHOD OF SETTING UP AND APPLYING PRESSURESENSITIVE ADHESIVE-COATED DRY TRANSFER IMAGES TO A A MOUNTING SURFACE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: ASSEMBLING EACH DRY TRANSFER IMAGE ON A BACKING SHEET, APPLYING A PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE TO EACH OF SAID IMAGES AND A PORTION OF EACH OF SAID BACKING SHEETS, APPLYING A SECTIONAL PROTECTIVE SHEET INCLUDING A RELATIVELY NARROW SECTION OVER EACH OF SAID COATED PORTIONS OF SAID BACKING SHEET, AND THE OTHER SECTION BEING RELATIVELY WIDE OVER EACH OF SAID DRY TRANSFER IMAGES, REMOVING SAID RELATIVELY NARROW SECTION, PREDETERMINING THE LOCATION OF A PLURALITY OF SAID DRY TRANSFER IMAGES ON SAID MOUNTING SURFACE BY POSITIONING INDICIA MEANS THEREON, ORIENTING A GUIDE STRIP MEANS UPON SAID MOUNTING SURFACE WITH SAID POSITIONING INDICIA MEANS, ALIGNING AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED EDGE OF SAID GUIDE STRIP WITH SAID POSITIONING INDICIA MEANS TO INDEX SAID GUIDE STRIP THEREWITH, ALIGNING GUIDE LINES FORMED ON THE BACKING SHEETS ON THE REVERSE SIDE FROM SAID DRY IMAGES WITH SAID ELONGATED EDGE OF SAID GUIDE STRIP, AFFIXING SAID BACKING SHEETS TO SAID GUIDE STRIP WHERE SAID NARROW SECTION HAS BEEN REMOVED, MOVING SAID RELATIVELY WIDE SECTION OF SAID PROTECTIVE SHEETS AFFIXING BY PRESSURE SAID DRY TRANSFER IMAGES TO SAID MOUNTING SURFACE, AND REMOVING SAID GUIDE STRIP AND SAID BACKING SHEETS. 